Racing

If you want a navigator to get you across oceans FAST (and usually faster than anyone else), there is no one better than Stan Honey. Besides being a very nice guy, Honey brings a mastery of electronics, weather, and sailing to his work, and as a result he gets plenty of invitations to go sailing.

He's won the Transpac, he's won the Volvo Ocean Race, and in 2010 he helped Groupama 3 to a new Jules Verne circumnavigation record (recently broken by Banque Populaire).

I've seen skiffs that are more out of the water than in. But I have never seen a skiff that is literally and almost completely airborne–with just a few square centimeters (if that) remaining in contact with the water. Looks like quite a ride. (via)

Maybe you think a sailboat video is a cinch to make? Well, it is, I guess. Water, boat, camera, done. Fourteen views on YouTube. Nice job.

But making a good one, like anything else, takes something called talent. And in the world of high-end sailboat racing, there are few better at capturing the action, mood, and excitement than Keith Brash.

I was reminded of that when I saw this recent update on Artemis.

But to see all the different aproaches he takes, take a quick tour of his work for Quantum TV.

We've all done it. The finish whistle welcomes you across the line, your race is over, so you ease sheets, crack the cooler, and head toward the barn. And sometimes you suddenly realize you are interfering with boats that are still racing.

In the best case you are just disturbing their air, and you get out of the way quickly, with an apology. In the worst case you get….this.

Here's a summary of what happened (and a long version of the video is here):

The finish line was skewed by somewhere around 10-15 degrees. You can see the

Top-end professional sailing never seems to settle into a stable hierarchy. Instead, circuits wax and wane, while the professional sailors just float from one circuit to the next, following the money and energy. No circuit ever seems to truly crack the code.

The America's Cup will always attract top talent because it pays top, which is to say ridiculous, dollars. But it's hard to argue that with skyrocketing costs, uncertainty over the venue, and just three paid-up challengers the AC is thriving.

MedCup was looking good for a while, but the AC, the economy, and the high cost of campaigning ...